Blog Archives

I suspect around half my readers come from that big ole’ nation to the south, so I will keep it light today. I know how mass quantities of mashed vegetables can make you drowsy ;)

Secondly, I went to my first NBA game last night!

Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers. To be blunt, Toronto teams suck. You don’t see them in the playoffs very often. The Raptors recently lost their star player Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat. The Blue Jays are in a division against top teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Maple Leafs are just smelly (go Senators!). And who watches the CFL??

But would you believe it, the Raptors actually won! Even more, they won with over 100 points, which means all the fans got free grub from Pizza Pizza. I gave mine away though, as I’d like to leave Ontario having a clean Pizza Pizza slate.

We also got free toques! For you drowsy Americans, that’s pronounced “toooook.” It’s a knit hat.

It’s kindasorta my goal to see all the Toronto teams play while I’m here. But apparently the NHL tickets are near impossible to get.

Anyways. Enough about sports for now. Let’s get to the food.

I’ve quickly shared a version of this recipe before, but I’ve decided it deserves its own proper post because it’s something I eat several times a week!

Stove-top Chocolate Chip Breakfast Oatcakes

Start with 1/2 cupdry rolled oats.

Add in 1/4 cup unflavoured soy protein powder + 1/4-1/2 tsp baking soda. I like my oatcakes more soda-y so I use 1/2 tsp, but I know some people are really sensitive to that taste.

As for the protein powder, I use Purely Bulk brand, which is Canadian made. I need protein in my breakfast, so this is why I add it. If that’s not important to you, by all means sub it out with 1/4 cup flour. You can use soy flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, peanut flour, coconut flour. You get the point, the possibilities are endless!

I also add 3 stevia packets to sweeten it up – totally optional.

Mix in 1 tbsp almond butter + 6 tbsp hot water. I used almond here because it doesn’t stand out as much as other nut butters. But peanut butter would be good too!

The mix should be just moist enough to stick together. But not gooey. You may need to adjust the water, that’s why I like adding one tablespoon at a time.

Finally, sprinkle with chocolate chips. I try to keep it around 1/2 tbsp.

Form into three palm-sized patties and cook in a greased frying pan at medium heat.

Cook for around 5 minutes each side, until each side is browned and patties are firm.

Aaand you’re done! I make these in batches every week for grab-n-go breakfasts. Usually gobbled up on the streetcar with an iced coffee on my way to work at 5am. A more “balanced” version of the traditional oatcake that’s more like a cookie than anything else. Call it handheld oatmeal if you will :)

The essentials:

1/2 cup dry rolled oats

1/4 cup soy protein powder or flour of your choosing

1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 packets stevia, or sweetener equal to 1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp almond butter

6 tbsp hot water

1/2 tbsp chocolate chips

Directions: Mix, patty n’ fry!

With that, I bid you adieu. I’ve got a Jack Russell terrier to cuddle with.

Four times a week I roll out of bed at 5:15am to be on the streetcar by 5:45am and work by 6:30am. Essentially enough time to clear the sleep from my eyes, brush my teeth, put on mascara, and stuff my gym clothes into my bag.

I suppose I could get up earlier than this to have a proper sit-down breakfast. But seeing the number “4” on my alarm clock freaks me out.

Because of this, I’ve been eating breakfast literally on-the-go most days of the week. Usually during my 15 minute streetcar ride to the subway station. Breakfast needs to be quick, cold, and something I won’t spill on my lap.

My latest on-the-go breakfast creation was actually inspired by the traditional Scottish oatcakes I made for the second Project Food Blog challenge in this post.

Mix it all up, adding the liquid just until everything is slightly soft and dissolved. Form mixinto little patties. Throw on a medium-heat greased frying pan and cook until brown and firm.

Suddenly I’m left with three little oatcakes with good nutritionals that I can eat ALL of for breakfast!

I make these the night before while I prep my coffee and lunch. Store in a little baggie to grab-n-go at 5am :)

The oatcakes also get a much better reception from my fellow streetcar passengers compared to creations such as these…

That would be cottage cheese with nut butter, oats and dried fruit. This tupperware filled with mush generates a lot of weird and disgusted looks. Much worse however are the days I choose to bring boiled eggs. Not everyone appreciates it when I stink up the back car!

Secondly, I am currently without internet at home.

I’ve actually been without it since last Thursday and won’t be online again until this Friday. For someone who spends a HUGE chunk of their day on the world wide web, it’s proven to be a little difficult. A nice vacation from it all I guess, but it’s also causing me to fall way behind on important work commitments. Le boo.

This means I’ve been spending even more time leeching off free wifi in cafes.

Which is saying a lot, because I pretty much live at Starbucks between clients anyways. I live too far away to scoot home during the longer breaks, so I just haul my laptop around with me!

This also means that sometimes, I fall victim to the cafe food case.

Yesterday, I had a Santa Fe Chicken Panini from Starbucks. It was pretty decent!! Expensive though.

I was left with two extra bags of pre-mixed slaw and ate a whole bag for lunch. Veggies stand no chance in my presence.

Fourthly (??) I feel like I should let you know that the party didn’t end after the dinner party on Saturday night. Friends, I was up until 5am. Not what you think though. Ohno, we kept it classy with art exhibitions!

…in the street. Every year, Toronto hosts this event called “Nuit Blanche” from dusk till dawn. The whole city is taken over by pieces of mostly modern art. The streets were packed with people ALL night!

Unfortunately, we didn’t see much. By staying out so late, we also ran out of steam and only stumbled across two pieces. The above van with holes and lights.

And the screening of The Beatles movie Hard Days Night. Sloooowed down to run for 12 hours and accompanied by a string quartet playing veeerrrry slowly.

Ohyes, and there was that creepy dollhouse that is unfortunately not an exhibit but real life. Perhaps it’s better we just forget about that.

The “crack” being Trader Joes Sunflower Seed Butter. My favourite!!! Along with some Luna Chocolate Peppermint stick flavour that we also can’t get in Canada, and little bags of mysterious Japanese nuts. (yes, I know how that sounds)

Okay, technically they’re Mini Broad Beans in a soy sauce-like flavouring. Verrrry good and the perfect little treat! THANK YOU for perking up my day Deb!!!!

Sixthly, this is really cool chocolate.

I love Ritter Sport brand to begin with, but this kind has Cornflakes in it!

Just a little crisp added to the soft milk chocolate. Definitely recommended.

Lastly (but definitely not leastly!)

Voting is still open for Project Food Blog! Are you sick of these prompts yet? This week’s challenge goes from 200 to 100 bloggers, with the final blogger getting $10,000. I feel so lucky to have made it this far, as the whole process has turned out to be pretty fun. Also a BIGTHANK YOU to everyone who has supported and voted for me thus far. I’ve been playing with ideas of things I could do with that money, and I definitely want it to involve my readers and the greater good somehow! To keep me in the running, click here, sign up and give me a big ole’ heart! :)

Question of the Day: It’s time for Q&As!! If you have any questions you want me to address in a post, leave it in the comments or e-mail me at thegreatbalancingact@gmail.comI’ll be addressing all sorts of topics, silly, serious, personal, fitness related, food related, anything!

I went in armed with not only my camera and foodie excitement, but also my trusty notebook. I’m an old journalist after all, I can’t help but take notes! Here are some of my favourite points from the Q&A:

Americans spend only 7% of their income on food. A very low percentage representing how many are living off cheap processed food.

“Pay the farmer, not the hospital.”

Ideally, our diets would consist of 90% plants with 10% coming from everything else (meat, processed food, and “junk”). An alarming number of people take in the reverse percentages. Bittman says we don’t have to be perfect – we just need to “seesaw” to get those numbers closer together. i.e. More plants, less of everything else.

Bittman thinks veganism is the highest form of conscious eating, but admitted he personally will never get there. Instead he does a vegan diet until 6pm every day, then might have animal products with dinner. He said it doesn’t matter if you are a vegan, so long as you take steps in that direction.

Drew several comparisons between cigarettes and processed foods. Mentioned that only a few people quit smoking when the surgeon general’s warning against it came out in 1964. It took mass coercion and enforcement to see a big change in the number of people smoking. He used this to demonstrate that warning about the health risks of processed foods may not be enough. Also pointed out that much like cigarettes are linked to cancer, some foods are linked to diabetes.

“Cooking is not a spectator sport.” Bittman is not a huge fan of the Food Network, saying, “People are too busy watching other people cook on television.” Touché.

Overall it was a fun Q&A! I raised my hand to ask him about how running changed his perception of food, but my hand was never picked. I will say he’s exactly how I pictured him. Brutally honest, funny, self-deprecating and personable all in one.

Now how about I start showing you some food!

I’ve had a few stellar food combinations recently. Beginning with this bowl of spicy oats.

1/2 cup rolled oats cooked with water, a pinch of salt, bacon, and a scoop of cream cheese. Topped with two soft-fried eggs and Frank’s hot sauce.

The cream cheese made the oats just that – creamy and cheesy! Runny yolks on hot oats is something you must try if you’re in to that sort of thing. It’s dreamy!

I’ve also been mixing cream cheese into salsa.

Makes it something a little reminiscent of that neon-orange Tostitos con queso dip and awesome with carrots!

I paired this combo with a ham + swiss sandwich. Except I added a little kick with fresh herbs.

Just like that, with a little cream cheese and oregano, my dinner turned from blah to extraordinary :)

Dessert lately hasn’t been too classy.

Some days I crave the fancy dark 80-whatever chocolate. Other days I just want some old-school Jersey Milk.

Hits the spot. Reminds me of childhood when I only ate milk chocolate.

Another childhood favourite is sloppy joes paired with corn. I don’t know why my mother always made this particular combo, but now every time I eat sloppy joes, corn needs to be had. I polished off the lentil-based Snobby Joes the way they were meant to be eaten… on a bun.

Much better warm on a bun as opposed to cold on a pita like I’d been eating it.

With the corn and green beans! Perfection.

There happens to be a fruit and vegetable stand a block away from the running store I work at. Their baskets are brimming with local Ontario apples and I can’t help but snatch some up every time I pass!

Including this GINORMOUS honeycrisp. I put it in front of this crappy DVD for size comparison, but I realize you’re not getting the width of it here, which was very respectable indeed.

I ate it all.

Last, but not least, I’ve been snacking on Scottish treats!

And by “snack” I mean I came home tonight and completely demolished the rest of the traditional Scottish oatcakes. Left side topped with PB + fluff, right side with almond butter + chocolate chips. Too bad I don’t have any jam in the house – it would be perfect! Guess I’ll just have to make more ;)

Subscribe

Daily posts to your inbox.

Join 471 other followers

Welcome!

My name is Susan, I'm a 20-something living in Atlantic Canada and this is my blog about... me. I used to blog about food and fitness, but that all changed in June 2011 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After six months of chemotherapy, I was declared cancer-free in January 2012. I now write about anything and everything as I stumble through my post-cancer world. I'm a trained journalist currently working as a writer/researcher. I also have a background in personal fitness training and nutrition. Welcome to my piece of the internet!
See my About page or Top Posts page for more.

Contact

E-mail me at: thegreatbalancingact@gmail.com

Due to my current illness, please be patient for responses to e-mails and comments. If anything is urgent, please let me know!